Warhol ex Varchola

Did you know that Andy Warhol's family name was originally Varchola?

Yes, if you are into genealogy and have done any digging into your family's ancestry as I have, you probably have found that your inherited last name was most likely changed--and possibly changed more than once! For example, Andy Warhol was a Varchola. I'm a member of a variety of Yahoo groups which are into genealogy and family ancestry research. On any given day, you can read about those researching their families genealogy finding that their relatives have MANY variations of last names which may SOUND similar, but surely are spelled quite differently!

Andy Warhol Brief -- Warhol = Warhola = Varchola

aka Warhola and Varchola ...

Andy Warhol was born as Andrew Warhol in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His parents, Ondrej (Andrew) Warhola (original surname was Varchola, he changed it after coming to US) and Júlia Zavacká, were working class immigrants of Ruthenian ethnicity from Miková, in northeast Slovakia; his father worked in the coal mines of Pennsylvania. The family was Catholic. In the third grade, he came down with a disease called St. Vitus' dance, which is caused by a virus that affects nerves and is thought to be a complication of scarlet fever. This disease changed his looks, and his life, forever.

This brief plus the picture of Andy Warhol, photographed by Helmut Newton, appears on his Wikipedia biography.

My great grandmother, Anna Varchola, was born, as a guestimate, in 1870 in Czechoslovakia. She married Mihaly Kovacs, who was born August 4, 1864 in Czechoslovakia. His name was "Americanized" to Michael Kovach, I assume when he came to the United States; she became Anna Kovach as well. As Michael Kovach died November 22, 1908 in Pennsylvania, Anna remarried.

Anna [Varhola] Kovach had a total of 11 children although reportedly 8 died from childhood diseases such as tuberculosis. She had 2 daughters with Michael, Anna and Julia; and a third daughter, Margaret with her second husband. Anna died in 1932 in Cleveland, Ohio, and is buried in Calvary Cemetary.

A few years ago, I was doing some online research on the Varchola name. It was at that time, that I learned Andy Warhol was also born a Varchola.

Andy Warhol Links

Andy Warhol Museum: The Andy Warhol Museum office website.
Andy Warhol Foundation: The official website of the Andy Warhol Foundation.
Andy Warhol Visual Arts: The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

Anna Varchola Daughters

Anna Kovach - Born October 1900 in Pennsylvania. Left home in 1918. Married Andrew Jason and had 2 sons, Frankie and William. Last known address: 1844 West 54th Street, Cleveland, Ohio.
Julia Kovach - Born October 1, 1905 in Eleanora, Pennsylvania. Married Alexander J. Nagy on October 2, 1928 in St. Mary's Church. Had two children, Lillian and Robert John [born May 12, 1931]. She died on April 28, 1978 and is buried in Holy Cross Cemetary in Cleveland, Ohio. Section 11, Lot 4640, Grave 1.
Margaret - Born October 13th. Married William Taylor and had 3 children: David, Cindy, and Karen.

A very special lens on Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol

To capture the essence of Andy Warhol, a single lens page just cannot possibly begin to scratch the surface. So, let this page be your starting point towards an understanding of who Andy Warhol was and what made him tick! Why this lens? ...

Andy Warhol Flowers Tote

Wow! What a neat item!

Andy Warhol by Loop Design Tote $38.00 was spotted at Urban Outfitters.

Bright and cheery, these handy totes are tough and artsy, quite literally. Images made famous by inimitable pop artist and cultural icon Andy Warhol are screened onto the heavy canvas bags. Choose from "shoes" "ice cream," "flowers," or "soup can." Color and the level of distress on the prints varies from one bag to another. All of them come with three printed pins stuck on the exterior that you can move around or put on clothing, other bags, etc. Inside, there are three pockets on a panel, one with Velcro closure. Also inside on a chain is a coin purse shaped and printed like Warhol's images, and a strap with a lobster clasp at the end from which to hang your keys. Finally, inside the handles are printed quotes from Andy himself. Cotton canvas. 15.5 x 15.5 with 22 inch strap.

Check out all the cool Andy Warhol products available from Urban Outfitters.

Andy Warhol Happy Butterfly Day File Tote

by: Galison Mudpuppy

Amazon Price: $20.00 (as of 12/17/2009)
List Price: $20.00

Usually ships in 2 to 4 weeks

Andy Warhol on Amazon

Andy Warhol: Photography

The Andy Warhol Show

The Andy Warhol Diaries

Andy Warhol: Giant Size